Fukuoka district court rules in favor of ex-inspector in bribe-taking case

Toshio NakamuraFUKUOKA (TR) – The Fukuoka District Court on Thursday handed down a not-guilty verdict to a former assistant inspector for the Fukuoka Prefectural Police accused of taking bribes from organized crime, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 8).

Last July, Toshio Nakamura, 50, admitted to receiving 100,000 yen from members of the Kudo-kai in exchange for information to be used in negotiations with blackmail targets. Nakamura was also suspected to have received an additional 200,000 yen for providing details of police raids in advance.

For the charge of bribery, presiding judge Hideo Nojima cited the fact that the date and location in Nakamura’s admission contradicted that in the written indictment as the reason for the ruling.

Further, prosecutors had sought a prison sentence of two years and six months and a fine of 100,000 yen for violations of government employee laws. For this charge, Nakamura was found guilty and received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for three years.

Two members of Kudo-kai, the largest yakuza group in Kitakyushu, were also found not-guilty on charges of bribery.